278 Brook Avenue, Bronx, NY 10454

278 Brook Avenue is a 5-story, 15-unit New Law tenement building located in Mott Haven, built in 1906 and currently owned by Ben Schwadel. The property has experienced persistent heat and hot water system issues, particularly during the winter months of late 2023 through 2024, with multiple emergency complaints filed for both building-wide and apartment-specific problems. Most recently, a heat and hot water complaint from December 2024 remains unresolved.

The building has also faced heating system access issues, with open violations from December 2024 related to locked access to the boiler room. In addition to these ongoing maintenance challenges, apartment 3A was cited in December 2024 for mold issues in two closets, while apartment 5B experienced heat and hot water provision problems in January 2024, though these violations were subsequently closed. The building's recent history shows some improvements, with no bedbug infestations reported in the past six reporting periods (as of December 2024), and successful rodent control measures demonstrated in recent inspections (passed in 2023, 2022, and 2021).

However, there was a window A/C unit maintenance issue noted in October 2023, which was resolved. The property has maintained consistent compliance with bedbug reporting requirements, showing zero infestations since 2019, and has generally passed rodent inspections, though there were instances of rat activity noted in 2015 and 2012. The concentration of heat and hot water complaints during winter months suggests systemic HVAC challenges, though many of these issues have been addressed promptly through HPD interventions.